*Please note:  
Due to the student-led discussion format of this class, the smallest size that will work well is 4 students.  I will cancel the class if fewer than 4 students enroll.  Invite your friends!  That said, the class will not work well with more than 8 students.  I will keep a firm cap on the limit as well, in order for everyone to have the best possible educational experience.  

Q:  What Are Literature Circles?

A:  In literature circles, small groups of students gather together to discuss a piece of literature in depth. The discussion is guided by students' responses to what they have read. You may hear talk about events and characters in the book, the author's craft, or personal experiences related to the story. Literature circles provide a way for students to engage in critical thinking and reflection as they read, discuss, and respond to books. Collaboration is at the heart of this approach. Students reshape and add onto their understanding as they construct meaning with other readers. Finally, literature circles guide students to deeper understanding of what they read through structured discussion and extended written and artistic response.

This specific course is geared toward higher level thinking.  Each literature circle role is directly connected to the 11 elements of critical thinking: big ideas, rules, trends, patterns, language of the discipline, ethics, relationships over time, details, unanswered questions, across disciplines and multiple perspectives.  

Q:  What is this book about?

A:  JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world . . .

ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .

MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .

All three kids go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers -- from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, shocking connections will tie their stories together in the end.

This action-packed novel tackles topics both timely and timeless: courage, survival, and the quest for home.

(Amazon description)

Q:  Is there any homework?  

A:  You will be asked to read approximately 55 pages per week and complete your "job" in order to be ready to present to the group each week.  

Q:  Am I going to be graded on this?  

A:  I will be taking notes each week on a rubric that allows me to assess your overall participation and the completion and depth of your assigned weekly role.  This can be shared with your parents upon request.